Dave Dombrowski says the Phillies don’t need another star. Is he right?

After the Phillies’ offense fell flat late in the 2023 postseason and the team essentially ran it back in 2024 only to meet the same fate a round earlier, it’s almost a given that there will be change this time. 

Don’t be surprised if that change happens on the margins of the roster — and not in the form of incoming stars. 

“We have as many stars as about anybody in baseball,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday when asked about the team’s capacity to add another. “So I don’t think necessarily that you need to add more.” He pointed to the team’s eight All-Stars in 2024, accurately mentioning that that represented the most in baseball for any one team. 

In some ways, Dombrowski has a point. Strictly on paper, the Phillies’ lineup is one of the best in the entire sport. It boasted three 2024 All-Stars — Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm. Across four NLDS games, Phillies starting lineups combined for 20 All-Star appearances from seven different players (yes, including Austin Hays, who represented the Orioles in 2023).

But there’s also a case to be made that the Phillies aren’t quite as star-studded as Dombrowski might think, in terms of tangible on-field production.

J.T. Realmuto has been an All-Star three times, but while he’s certainly still an above average offensive catcher, to call him a “star” at this point in his career might require a generous definition of the word. He hasn’t had an OPS higher than .762 in two years. He went 0-for-11 in the postseason. And he isn’t getting any younger.

Bohm was indeed an All-Star for the first time, but then the second half happened, his numbers took a dive and his future suddenly felt in doubt. Castellanos was a star in the NLDS and arguably the Phillies’ most consistent hitter throughout the season, but it wasn’t an earth-shattering year; he hasn’t had one since before he signed with Philadelphia three seasons ago. 

It feels reasonable to call Harper, Turner and Kyle Schwarber the only three legitimate “stars” in the Phillies’ lineup. Schwarber is under contract for one more season, and just how many years of star-level production Turner has left is anybody’s guess.

Dombrowski’s comments on Tuesday came with four qualifiers, and all are perfectly valid. The first is that as much as owner John Middleton is willing to spend, the front office is still operating with at least some consideration to payroll. At some point, exceeding higher and higher luxury tax thresholds comes with penalties that go beyond an owner simply paying them off. The second is that even if they don’t view it as a necessity, the Phillies are still open to adding stars and will do so if they see a fit at a price they deem reasonable. 

The third, though unspoken, is about leverage: The more the Phillies admit they’re desperate for stars, the more they’ll eventually cost. And the fourth, also unspoken, is about practicality: It’s easier to say you’ll add a star than it is to actually get one. If a front office says it needs stars but fails in that pursuit, they’ve enraged an already unhappy fan base and sent the wrong message to the clubhouse.

For those reasons, Phillies fans shouldn’t overreact to Dombrowski toning down the need to break the bank for another star. But the Phillies’ lineup doesn’t quite have as much thump as its big names suggest it does, and that’s not just because the supporting cast didn’t carry its weight in 2024.

A Juan Soto or an Alex Bregman — two postseason-weathered sluggers who don’t carry the same chase-happy baggage that much of the current roster does — would unquestionably change that.

Must-read Phillies content

• Speaking of payroll, Destiny Lugardo wrote about Dombrowski’s comments on the team’s 2025 payroll — and why it’ll inevitably go up.
• Four Phillies are Gold Glove finalists. Some could win. Most probably won’t. And there are two notable omissions.

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